Thursday Salute to Originals: Happy Accidents
You know the phrase, “There’s no use crying over spilled milk”? While some artists may disagree, we also believe there’s no use crying over spilled paint. In fact, these sculptures will leave you smiling! Literally. Japanese-American Artist Joe Suzuki creates his latest series using bright, bold colors and wonderful images that will leave your soul smiling from ear to ear.
Suzuki’s sculptures are made out of resin casting material and enamel, yet the pieces appear as though they are quite literally freshly spilled paint – and on accident. The vibrant works pay tribute to inspirations like Warhol and Basquiat by depicting symbols often coined by these various artists.
More so, Suzuki considers his artwork to be of his own culture, and his pieces certainly portray this concept. Being a first-generation immigrant, Suzuki does not identify with simply an ‘American’ or ‘Japanese’ culture, but rather what he defines as ‘Japamerica.’
Suzuki goes on to describe how his culture impacts his art:
“In my peculiar culture, customs and traditions are born out of misunderstandings or idiosyncrasies, and myths and legends are often formed through the struggles of everyday life. I am fascinated by and curious about my culture’s development and the effect it has on my identity. I see my art making as an investigation that captures and documents my ever changing, mutating, polyglot reality. My work is informed by my life, contingent on my ordinary, real world experiences as a middle-class Japamerican dad, who is simply trying to make sense of it all.”
This Thursday we’re saluting Joe Suzuki for not settling to assimilate to one culture but instead adapting his own to build through his art. We can all learn the lesson Suzuki shares, by thinking outside our own boxes and cultural norms in order to create something extraordinary.
Sources: Joe Suzuki, This is Colossal